U.S. Hurricane Expert to Quit, Join TV Station

MIAMI — Dr. Neil Frank, the director of the National Hurricane Center, has resigned to become a weather forecaster and science reporter at a Houston television station, a weather service spokesman said Thursday.

Frank will leave the hurricane center June 1, the first day of the 1987 hurricane season, for KHOU in Houston, said meteorologist James Lushine.

Frank was named National Hurricane Center director in 1973. Since then, his vigorous delivery and close-cropped hair style have made him a national television figure during hurricane season.

Replacement Not Named

His replacement has not been named, Lushine said.

Frank, who has been with the National Weather Service for more than 25 years, is 55, the age federal employees become eligible for retirement, Lushine said.

"It is just a situation when he was eligible to retire, and he chose to continue working in the private sector," Lushine said.